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It’s been a bit since I’ve baked bread. When I moved to NY from Boston (and got married… and bought a house… and had a kid…) the starter got neglected and eventually was thrown out (basically, it starved to death). So, a few weeks ago I decided it was time to get a new starter going and I decided to “kick start” it with some scrapings from my proofing cloths. Lo and behold it worked wonderfully and the starter kicked off in record time. And here are the results, some lovely, very tasty, sourdough boules and a small loaf (there were two loaves, but…). It’s really easy to make sourdough bread, it just takes some time and I’ve found that the key to a really good crust is to put a quarter sheet pan of water on the lowest rack in the oven. Keep water in the pan so that the oven is nice and steamy. I bake at 500 degrees (F) and it only takes about 25 minutes per boule. The recipe is pretty straightforward as well, nothing but flour, starter, a pinch or two of salt and a bit of olive oil on the hands as I knead the dough.

It’s been a long month and we covered a lot of miles (more than 5800 in fact), but we’re finally home! All the animals are healthy (if a bit peeved by our long absence) and the house is still standing. It’s good to be home, the trip was fun, but it was beginning to get a bit old. I think we want to try and find a motor home before we do this again.

Here’s roughly the route we’ve taken (and will be taking) on this trip. It’s a long way, but we’ve had fun so far and TJ has done very well.
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Well, we’ve survived two weeks on the road with a three month old, only two more to go. We’re currently in Colorado, enroute to Phoenix after spending time in Rapid City, we’re taking our time across Colorado, enjoying the trip and not pushing too hard.

One of the things I love about my job is that I can do it pretty much from anywhere. So, today I’m sitting in a Panera bread in Sioux Falls, SD about 1300 miles from where I live. And I’m getting quite a bit done! Tuesday I was actually working whilst traveling down I-90 at about 70 mph (and no, I wasn’t driving!), modern technology is a wonderful thing. On the downside, it tends to mean that I’m available to work 24/7/365 and that I sometimes let work escape its cage and interfere with the rest of my life. But I try to keep that the exception and not the rule. In any case, we’ve just about finished week one of Baby Tour 2007 and I’m happy to report that things are going well, TJ is becoming a seasoned traveler and, while he doesn’t necessarily enjoy the car seat, doesn’t seem to mind it too much (unless he has a dirty diaper, in which case, find an exit fast!). We’ve made the Nutt family reunion in Monroe, visited cousins in Wisconsin and now are visiting friends in Sioux Falls, next stop is Rapid City, then off to Phoenix to see my family. From there, things get a bit fuzzy as the itinerary isn’t set in stone yet, but it involves Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Pennsylvania and possibly Kentucky (whew!).

It’s amazing the difference 3 months can make. He’s gone from being completely helpless to only mostly helpless! We’re getting ready to take him on the road tomorrow and will be gone nearly a month, so it should be interesting to see how he changes in that period.

This is how I want to clutch onto God’s hand, always knowing that He’s there protecting and watching over me, even when I’m oblivious to His presence. I truly believe that the relationship between a parent and child is just a pale reflection of our relationship with God, we can never love as deeply as He, but He gives us children so that we have some basic understanding of His heart for us.

Well, we’re at the hospital serving an eviction notice on the kid. Since he’s showing no inclination to come out on his own, we’ve called in the sheriff (ob/gyn) to get him out. So, hopefully, we’ll have a baby tomorrow.